This invention relates to timepieces for achieving a wide variety of special visual effects in addition to telling the time in a conventional manner. More particularly, the invention pertains to a special rotatable crystal and watch bezel assembly having an improved construction for achieving a variety of changing visual patterns and color effects, display of ornamental designs or personalized information and display of different time zones, elapsed time or other useful information depending on the marking indicia, materials or scales used.
Watches for achieving special visual effects in addition to telling the time are well known in the art. Watches with manually rotatable bezel rings for providing 24-hour markings or reading the time in another time zone, or measuring elapsed time, are known. Exemplary are U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,945-Anderson, issued Sept. 13, 1966 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,958- Grohoski, issued Jan. 12, 1971, the latter assigned to the present assignee.
Constructions are known in which the bezel and crystal attached to the bezel are rotatable as a unit and carrying logarithmic scale indicia to provide a circular slide rule, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 1,322,770-Eastwood, issued Nov. 25, 1919. Watches are known with fixed sealed crystals and transparent overlay members disposed outside of the fixed crystal which are rotatable or carry time indicating indicia, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,839-Brown; U.S. Pat. No. 1,796,652-Hawley; U.S. Pat. No. 1,064,770-Quinn and U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,420-Hewitt. Finally, various patents are known using stationary crystals of polarized or colored material or marked with symbols or designs, which cooperate with internal discs or hands of polarized or colored material or marked with symbols or designs. These are exemplified by Swiss Pat. No. 354,031, filed Feb. 10, 1959, Swiss Pat. No. 324,755, filed May 31, 1955 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,009, issued July 24, 1971 to Pakter and Krauss. The possibilities for such special visual effects are virtually limitless and the present invention relates to a construction enhancing the ability to provide such special effects.